1 


Written  for  Sprague,  Warner  &  Co. 
by  Mason  Warner 


SPRAGUE 
WARNER6 
COMPANY 


INCORPORATED 


Copyright,  1912, 
by  Sprague,  Warner  &  Co 


ORIGINAL    STORE,    14    STATE    STREET 


OFFICES    AND 
WAREHOUSE,    ERIE 
AND    ROBERTS 
STREETS 


• 


Historical 

WHEN  one  early  Roman  was  required  to  write  an  introduction  to 
another's  works,  he  said,  "I  will  willingly  obey  your  commands, 
not  ignorant  that  there  is  more  of  honor  than  labor  in  the  task."  The 
writer  approaches  this  work  with  the  same  feeling,  knowing  that  the 
only  difficulty  will  be  to  reject  from  an  over-abundance  of  material 
much  that  deserves  presentation  and  select  only  the  comparatively 
small  quantity  that  can  be  used  in  the  space  at  his  disposal. 

Volumes  could  be  written  relating  to  the  house  of  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company  since  its  beginning  fifty  years  ago,  but  these 
volumes  could  not  tell  all  the  story  nor  pay  the  tribute  justly  due  to 
the  founders  of  this  institution.  One  hesitates  in  the  writing  of  pages 
such  as  these,  halting  between  a  desire  to  give  the  credit  and  honor 
due  and  the  fear  that  when  the  simple  truth  is  set  down  it  will  be 
misconstrued  as  an  encomium  inspired  by  the  enthusiasm  and  per- 
sonal esteem  of  the  writer.  However  careful  one  may  be,  those  who 
knew  personally  the  founders  of  this  institution  will  say  that  the 
writer  has  fallen  far  short  of  paying  tribute  justly  due;  and  yet 
readers  unacquainted  with  these  men  may  feel  that  too  much  praise 
is  given. 

A  business  that  endures  for  half  a  century  and  grows  greater  with 
every  passing  year  must  do  more  than  deal  fairly.  No  concern  had  a 
monopoly  of  honest  goods  at  fair  prices  fifty  years  ago;  no  concern 
has  such  a  monopoly  to-day.  Honest  goods  at  fair  prices  are  not 
uncommon  and  usually  can  be  found  by  the  purchaser  with  money 
or  credit. 

A  firm  that  grows  from  a  small  beginning  to  an  institution  of 
colossal  magnitude  must  have  individuality,  originality,  aggressive- 
ness, character  and  strength.  It  is  not  difficult  for  any  merchant,  or 
any  firm  of  merchants,  to  make  sales  at  the  beginning  of  a  business 
career.  It  should  not  be  difficult  to  have  the  second  year's  business 
surpass  the  first,  and  the  third  year's  business  show  larger  than  the 
second.  Growth  in  volume,  in  yearly  totals  of  sales,  means  a  great 
deal,  but  this  growth  from  year  to  year  must  be  on  a  solid  foundation. 


ALBERT   A.   SPRAGUE 


EZRA    J.     WARNER 


Good  merchandise,  fair  prices  and  fair  dealing  are  essential  to 
the  permanent  growth  of  a  commercial  institution.  But  more  than 
these  is  required.  There  must  be  a  broad  knowledge  of  market 
conditions,  with  the  courage  to  invest  capital  before  the  average  man 
sees  the  opportunity  or  necessity.  There  must  be  the  constant,  ever- 
present  desire  to  do  things  better  than  anybody  else — a  never-ending 
struggle  to  improve  methods  of  selecting  and  carrying  stock,  making 
prompt  shipments,  and  in  caring  for  the  interests  of  customers. 
There  must  be  the  consideration  of  service,  the  creation  of  a  friendly 
feeling,  the  desire  for  co-operation  between  buyer  and  seller,  the 
recognition  of  mutual  interest,  the  realization  that  a  business  trans- 
action which  is  not  advantageous  to  both  parties  thereto  is  unsatis- 
factory dealing  and  contains  the  elements  of  danger  to  continued 
success.  There  must  be  the  strength  of  character  and  capital  to 
stand  the  stress  of  business  storms,  to  weather  the  financial  panics, 
to  meet  the  unexpected  squalls  of  unemployed  labor,  short  crops, 
floods,  and  local  disturbances  that  tend  to  destroy  and  dismember 
wholesale  and  retail  trading.  There  must  be  the  ability  to  judge 
men,  to  select  wisely  the  associates  who  will  cheerfully  accept  respon- 
sibility and  do  efficiently  and  well  the  many  important  things  that 
of  necessity  must  be  trusted  to  others  than  the  heads  of  a  firm. 

The  founders  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  had  all  of  the 
attributes  required  to  establish  and  conduct  the  business  of  a  mer- 
cantile institution  that  has  kept  it  in  the  lead  in  a  city  whose  com- 
mercial growth  has  caused  the  world  to  marvel,  for  among  the 
generation  of  notable  leaders  in  commerce  and  industry  that  made 
Chicago  grow  from  an  ordinarily  large  town  to  one  of  the  world's 
greatest  cities,  none  stood  higher  than  A.  A.  Sprague,  E.  J.  Warner, 
and  O.  S.  A.  Sprague. 

In  the  spring  of  1862  A.  A.  Sprague  came  to  Chicago  with  the 
intention  of  engaging  in  business,  and  after  investigating  the  field 
he  embarked  his  limited  capital  in  the  wholesale  grocery  trade,  taking 
as  a  partner  Z.  B.  Stetson,  and  forming  the  firm  of  Sprague  &  Stetson. 
At  the  expiration  of  a  year  Mr.  Stetson  retired  and  a  new  partnership 
was  formed  with  E.  J.  Warner,  under  the  name  of  Sprague  &  Warner. 

11 


OTHO    S.    A.     SPRAGUE 


In  1864  O.  S.  A.  Sprague,  a  younger  brother  of  the  senior  partner, 
was  admitted  to  the  firm,  which  was  reorganized  under  the  style  of 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company.  Under  this  name  it  has  since  con- 
tinued. 

The  first  building  the  firm  occupied  was  at  14  State  Street;  from 
this  they  moved  in  1866  to  Nos.  9-11-13  Wabash  Avenue.  In  1870 
they  moved  to  62  Michigan  Avenue.  They  were  burned  out  in  the 
great  fire  of  1871  and  .took  temporary  quarters  at  20  Canal  Street. 
In  1873  they  located  at  53-55  Michigan  Avenue,  and  in  1875  they 
went  to  the  corner  of  Randolph  Street  and  Michigan  Avenue,  where 
they  remained  for  thirty-four  years,  although  many  additions  to  the 
original  quarters  were  made.  In  April,  1909,  they  moved  to  their 
present  home  in  the  new  building  at  Erie  and  Roberts  Streets. 

Otho  S.  A.  Sprague  was  born  at  East  Randolph,  Vt.,  May  13, 
1839,  and  died  at  Pasadena,  Cal.,  February  20,  1909.  On  his  death 
the  Chicago  Tribune  said:  "He  was  a  man  of  keen  perceptions,  quick 
action,  and  strong  will,  never  hesitating  to  express  his  convictions 
when  called  upon  to  do  so.  His  boldness  was  so  tempered  by  his 
respect  for  the  opinion  of  others  that  he  made  friends  rather  than 
enemies  of  his  opponents."  He  was  the  daring  merchant — a  man  of 
magnetic  energy  who  won  the  admiration  of  keen  merchants  and 
business  men,  and  aroused  those  who  labored  with  him  to  a  degree 
of  admiration  and  loyalty  that  is  rarely  witnessed.  The  Chicago 
Evening  Post  said :  "  By  the  death  of  Otho  S.  A.  Sprague  that  remark- 
able circle  of  Chicagoans  who  led  the  city  during  the  '80s  and  '90s 
is  further  diminished.  In  himself  Mr.  Sprague  concentrated  almost 
all  the  qualities  for  which  that  small  knot  of  men  were  noted.  He 
had  their  intellectual  vigor,  their  practical  abilities,  their  enthusi- 
asms, their  strain  of  idealism,  their  faith  in  themselves  and  in  their 
community.  He  had,  as  well,  personal  traits  of  heart  and  mind  that 
made  him  remembered  here,  even  after  an  absence  of  years  in  the 
West,  as  one  of  the  most  charming  of  companions.  It  comes  back 
to  us  with  new  force  that  however  well  the  present  generation  may 
fill  its  place  it  cannot,  in  some  ways,  fill  that  held  by  the  generation 
which  Otho  Sprague  typified." 

13 


Ezra  J.  Warner  was  born  in  Middlebury,  Vt.,  March  8,  1841, 
and  died  at  Lake  Forest,  September  9,  1910.  He  was  a  careful 
student  of  financial  and  public  affairs — a  man  of  judicial  mind  with 
a  banker's  temperament  and  caution  and  a  successful  merchant's 
courage  and  vision.  Upon  his  death  it  was  written  of  him:  "We 
feel  deeply  the  loss,  yet  we  cannot  realize  that  he  is  no  longer  to  be 
with  us  to  counsel  and  advise.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  has  directed 
largely  the  business  policy  of  his  firm  and  company,  and  to  him  was 
referred  every  intricate  question  that  others  were  unable  to  solve. 
How  courteous — how  considerate — how  careful;  always  and  under 
all  circumstances  determined  to  be  just  and  fair.  No  question  was 
so  unimportant  that  it  could  be  slighted,  no  problem  too  difficult  to 
remain  unsolved.  His  foresight  penetrated  far  into  the  future  and 
his  judgment  was  unerring  as  far  as  it  is  possible  for  man  to  foresee 
or  determine.  His  wishes  will  continue  to  be  the  policy  of  our  busi- 
ness and  his  memory  will  be  an  inspiration  to  all  to  strive  to  the 
utmost  to  make  the  business  a  continued  success." 

Albert  A.  Sprague  was  born  at  Randolph,  Vt.,  May  19,  1835. 
He  has  been  President  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  since  its  incor- 
poration in  1896.  He  continues  in  that  position,  but  has  retired  from 
active  participation  in  the  management  of  the  business.  He  was  the 
third  of  the  trio  which  made  such  a  perfect  combination.  He  was 
the  mediator  and  counselor  who  proved  a  perfect  balance  between 
the  merchant  and  the  financier.  As  one  of  the  guiding  spirits  of  the 
company  he  bore  his  full  share  of  responsibility  and  did  his  full  share 
of  the  labor.  In  every  department  of  the  business — in  buying,  in 
selling,  in  general  management — the  guiding  hand  of  A.  A.  Sprague 
was  felt  from  the  first  day  of  business  and  it  continues  strong  and 
steady  to-day.  His  chief  life-work  has  been  that  of  a  remarkably 
successful  merchant,  but  the  range  of  his  activities  and  interests  has 
reached  far  beyond  his  special  field.  He  has  given  his  personal  sup- 
port and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  every  movement  that  has 
had  a  tendency  to  advance  the  community  in  which  he  lives.  He  is 
associated  with  a  number  of  corporations  which  have  helped  to  build 
Chicago — such  as  the  Commonwealth  Edison  Company,  Chicago 

14 


Telephone  Company,  and  the  Northern  Trust  Company.  The  latter 
is  one  of  the  strongest  financial  institutions  in  the  West,  and  Mr. 
Sprague  was  one  of  its  original  organizers. 

These  are  the  men  who  established  the  business  of  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company — who  laid  the  foundations  for  its  success  and 
guided  its  affairs  through  the  period  of  development  which  resulted 
in  reaching  the  position  it  holds  to-day. 


15 


MARVIN     A .     DEAN 
EZRA    J.    WARNER,    J  R  ALBERT    A.    SPRAGUE,    II. 


Present  Active  Management 

high  ideals  of  the  founders  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company 
govern  the  business  to-day.  Their  work  is  carried  on  by  men 
with  the  same  lofty  aspirations,  the  same  desire  to  serve  and  benefit 
society,  the  same  high  regard  for  commercial  honor  and  business 
integrity.  There  is  no  deviation  from  the  original  policy.  When  a 
problem  arises  the  first  thought  of  those  upon  whom  its  solution 
rests  is,  "What  would  the  old  firm  have  done  in  this  matter?" 

Marvin  A.  Dean,  Vice-President,  Treasurer  and  Managing 
Director  of  the  Company,  is  well  known  in  the  mercantile  world. 
He  came  to  the  firm  in  1881  as  bookkeeper,  and  the  position  he  now 
holds  was  won  by  ability  and  efficiency.  Upon  him  rests  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  management  of  the  entire  business,  including  the 
direction  of  the  Sales  Department,  with  salesmen  covering  every 
section  of  the  United  States.  His  advice  and  counsel  are  sought  by 
all  departments,  and  his  influence  extends  to  every  part  of  the 
business. 

A.  A.  Sprague  II.,  Vice-President  and  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  is  a  son  of  O.  S.  A.  Sprague,  and  a  nephew  of  A.  A.  Sprague, 
President  of  the  Company.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Harvard  University. 
During  the  construction  of  the  great  building  now  occupied  by  the 
firm  he  had  charge  of  the  work.  He  proved  himself  a  capable  super- 
intendent and  now  has  charge  of  the  operating  of  this  build- 
ing in  addition  to  the  active  part  he  takes  in  the  general  manage- 
ment. 

E.  J.  Warner,  Jr.,  Vice-President,  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  and  Secretary  of  the  corporation,  is  the  son  of  E.  J.  Warner, 
former  Vice-President  of  the  Company.  Mr.  Warner,  Jr.,  is  a 
graduate  of  Yale  University,  and  in  his  daily  work  shows  an  efficiency 
and  thoroughness  that  make  him  the  right  man  to  have  charge  of  the 
departments  under  his  supervision. 

Upon  these  three  men  now  rests  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of 
the  corporation.  They  have  surrounded  themselves  with  a  corps  of 
able  associates  and  the  business  is  conducted  with  the  same  old 
aggressive  spirit  of  enterprise  and  leadership  that  caused  it  to  grow, 
and  grow,  and  grow — every  succeeding  year  showing  higher  achieve- 
ment than  the  one  gone  before. 

17 


RECEPTION    ROOM 


18 


CUSTOMERS'    WRITING    AND    REST    ROOM 


TT'ISITORS  are  always  welcome  to  the  home  of  the  Richelieu, 
Ferndell,  and  Batavia  brands.  This  modern  manufacturing, 
warehousing  and  merchandising  plant  occupies  the  largest  building 
in  the  world  devoted  exclusively  to  the  production  and  sale  of  food 
supplies.  It  is  located  on  the  north  branch  of  the  Chicago  River, 
with  a  water  frontage  of  390  feet.  It  varies  in  width  from  100  to  300 
feet.  The  building  is  seven  stories  high,  with  a  basement  under  all, 
and  has  a  floor  area  of  more  than  500,000  square  feet,  or  nearly  ten 
acres.  Visitors  enter  the  building  at  the  Erie  Street  entrance  and  are 
conveyed  by  elevators  to  the  seventh  floor,  where  are  located  all  of 
the  executive  and  departmental  offices,  except  the  Cigar  and  Tobacco 
Departments,  which  are  on  the  fifth  floor. 


CASHIER'S    DEPARTMENT 


'"PHE  seventh  story  has  an  aggregate  floor  area  of  45,668  square 
feet.  This  space  is  divided  into  sections,  and  as  one  enters  from 
the  elevators  he  looks  through  a  long  vista  of  four  main  divisions. 
In  No.  1  are  the  Accounting  Department,  private  executive  offices, 
customers'  rest-room  and  an  emergency  hospital.  No.  2  has  the 
Order  and  Filing  Departments  and  rooms  for  stenographers  and 
salesmen.  No.  3  is  occupied  by  the  offices  of  the  Preserving  and 
Manufacturing,  Dried  Fruit  and  Sugar,  Canned  Goods,  Foreign 
Fancy  Groceries,  Domestic  Fancy  Groceries,  Soap,  Rice,  Paper  Goods, 
and  Advertising  Departments,  and  a  commodious  sample-room. 
No.  4  is  given  over  to  the  Tea,  Coffee  and  Spice,  Flour,  Cereal,  Cheese, 
Fish,  Candy  and  Sundries  Departments. 


20 


AUDITING    DEPARTMENT 


21 


ROOM    NUMBER    TWO 


building  is  better  protected  against  fire.  An  automatic 
sprinkling  system  sends  its  protecting  pipes  throughout  every 
room  from  basement  to  roof.  'The  system  has  a  reserve  of  80,000 
gallons  of  water  in  four  tanks  on  the  roof.  These  tanks  are  fed  by  an 
85-horse-power  electric  pump  in  an  isolated  fire-proof  room  in  the 
basement,  having  direct  connections  with  the  river  and  supplied 
with  a  separate  power  service.  The  building  is  divided  into  four 
sections  by  masonry  fire  walls.  All  stairways  and  elevator  shafts 
are  enclosed  in  fire-proof  wells  that  can  be  shut  off  at  every  floor, 
thus  preventing  the  spread  of  fire  from  one  floor  to  another.  There 
are  nine  high-speed  two-ton  freight  elevators,  opening  directly  upon 
the  shipping  platforms  on  the  first  floor. 


22 


ROOM    NUMBER    THREE 


A  N  interesting  feature  of  the  building  is  the  pneumatic  tube 
system  for  messenger  service.  There  are  thirty-seven  stations, 
located  in  as  many  different  parts  of  the  building,  from  the  basement 
to  the  top  floor.  A  carrier  placed  in  a  tube  in  the  basement  can  reach 
the  central  station  on  the  top  floor  and  be  sent  back  again  within 
twelve  seconds.  One  operator  controls  the  central  station.  As  the 
carriers  emerge  from  the  tubes  they  drop  on  a  traveling  belt  and  the 
operator  transfers  them  to  the  tube  which  will  carry  them  to  their 
proper  destination.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  separate  carriers  are  in 
active  service  and  in  reality  represent  two  hundred  and  fifty  special 
messenger  boys,  one  of  whom  would  require  twenty  minutes  for  the 
trip  made  by  carrier  in  twelve  seconds. 


23 


ROOM     NUMBER    FOUR 


24 


SAMPLE     DISPLAY     ROOM 


TTAVE  you  ever  noticed  a  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  salesman 
when  it  is  suggested  that  another  line  of  food  products  is  as 
good  as  the  Richelieu?  Nine  times  out  of  ten  his  reply  will  be, 
"Let's  compare  the  goods."  A  salesman's  argument  might  help  to 
convince  that  the  quality  of  the  Richelieu  line  is  the  finest  to  be  had. 
So,  too,  might  a  lengthy  description  in  this  book  help  to  make  a 
favorable  impression  upon  the  reader,  but  the  strongest  proof  of 
superiority  is  in  the  goods  themselves.  Take  any  other  brand  you 
wish.  Place  it  side  by  side  with  the  Richelieu,  then  open  the  con- 
tainers, compare  the  foods,  taste  them,  subject  them  to  every  test 
you  can.  You  will  decide  in  favor  of  the  Richelieu  brand,  repre- 
senting the  finest  quality  of  food  products  procurable  anywhere. 


25 


ADVERTISING    DEPARTMENT 


*  I  AHERE  are  few  towns  in  the  United  States,  from  Maine  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  from  Canada  to  Mexico,  where  you  cannot  find  an 
enterprising  merchant  handling  the  Richelieu,  Ferndell  or  Batavia 
brand  of  food  products.  This  ocean  to  ocean  territory  has  been 
covered  with  the  assistance  of  the  Advertising  Department.  The 
merit  of  the  goods  will  hold  the  consumer's  patronage  after  the 
brands  are  introduced,  and  it  is  the  work  of  this  advertising  depart- 
ment to  induce  consumers  to  buy  the  goods  for  the  first  time.  This 
department  does  not  consider  the  transaction  closed  when  a  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company  brand  is  placed  on  a  grocer's  shelf,  and  it  stands 
ready  to  co-operate  with  and  help  that  merchant  move  those  goods 
from  his  shelves  to  the  homes  of  the  consumers. 


26 


STENOGRAPHERS'    ROOM 


27 


COFFEE    AND    SPICE    DEPARTMENT 


CIGAR    AND    TOBACCO     DEPARTMENTS 


finest  vault  in  the  world  for  the  keeping  of  cigars  is  to  be 
found  in  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company's  building.  It  is  55  feet 
long  and  15  feet  wide,  divided  in  two  sections — one  for  imported 
cigars,  the  other  for  high-grade  domestic  cigars.  (See  page  54  for 
illustration.)  The  insulation  and  atmospheric  conditions,  which  are 
under  perfect  control,  produce  most  excellent  results.  The  vault  is 
kept  at  uniform  temperature  and  humidity  in  winter  and  summer, 
and  the  cigars  are  certain  to  stay  sweet  and  clean,  while  scientific 
ventilation  keeps  them  free  from  tobacco  beetles  or  worms.  Doing 
business  in  every  state  in  the  Union,  it  naturally  follows  that  cigars, 
tobacco  and  pipes  suitable  to  every  section  must  be  carried  in  stock — 
and  they  are  here. 


29 


SOUTH  WATER  STREET  SALESROOM 


/^HICAGO  and  its  suburbs  have  a  population  of  3,000,000  people 
—a  population  twice  as  large  as  that  of  the  states  of  Maine, 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  combined.  There  are  important 
jobbing  houses  scattered  throughout  the  United  States,  whose  entire 
territory  does  not  contain  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  population  of 
the  Chicago  district,  and  yet  the  "city  business"  is  but  a  small 
fraction  of  the  total  annual  turnover  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company. 
Scores  of  city  salesmen  make  the  South  Water  Street  Salesroom 
their  headquarters,  and  from  that  point  they  call  on  the  thousands 
of  retailers  in  the  Chicago  district.  Merchants,  too,  call  here  to  do 
much  of  their  buying,  as  it  is  conveniently  located  in  the  heart  of  the 
fresh  fruit  and  vegetable  market. 


30 


STENOGRAPHERS'    REST    ROOM 


LABORATORY 


/^ARELESS,  unscientific  methods  have  no  place  in  the  plants  of 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company.  To  illustrate:  the  jelly  value 
of  every  batch  of  fruit  juice  is  determined  and  from  this  the  amount 
of  sugar  to  be  added  is  calculated.  The  product  always  jells  and 
is  uniform;  it  is  scientifically  right.  The  chemists  in  the  laboratory 
continually  analyze  the  raw  materials  used  and  also  the  finished  food 
products.  Thus  in  all  lines  the  operations  have  precision  and  the 
quality  is  there  because  each  employe  knows  his  work  is  checked  by 
the  chemists.  Just  as  careful  analyses  are  made  of  all  foods  sold  by 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company,  and  after  the  microscopic,  chemical 
and  bacteriological  examinations  have  been  completed,  the  whole 
history  of  sources  and  manufacture  is  known. 


32 


COOKING    KETTLES 


33 


PRESERVE    PACKING 

O  ICHELIEU,  Ferndell  and  Batavia  preserves,  jams  and  jellies 
are  made  from  only  fresh  fruits  and  sugar.  There  is  not  one 
item  in  the  entire  lines  that  contains  an  atom  of  added  chemical 
preservative.  Many  years  before  the  present  agitation  for  pure  food 
products,  it  was  declared  by  the  head  of  this  department  that  "Ben- 
zoate  of  soda  or  any  other  chemical  preservative  has  no  place  in  food." 
Even  if  permitted  by  law,  chemical  preservatives  will  never  be  used 
here.  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  have  developed  processes  and 
methods  which  do  away  with  the  need  of  any  added  preservatives. 
By  these  processes  the  fruits  retain  the  natural  color  and  flavor  that 
Nature  put  there,  making  the  finished  product  healthful  and  whole- 
some, as  well  as  pleasing  and  attractive. 


35 


OLIVE    PACKING 


IC^OR  nearly  fifty  years,  even  before  the  Fancy  Grocery  Depart- 
ments  were  established  as  special  departments,  this  was  a 
fundamental  idea  in  the  merchandising  of  this  class  of  food  products: 
"The  consumer  is  satisfied  with  what  he  is  using  only  so  long  as  he 
knows  of  nothing  better  to  be  had."  That  axiom  is  continually 
before  these  departments  to-day,  and  they  are  constantly  alert  to 
secure  better  and  still  better  goods.  The  lines  are  complete  and 
include  pickles,  sauces,  salad  dressing,  catsup,  vinegars,  olives,  olive 
oil,  ripe  olives,  sardines,  canned  meats,  sausages,  meat  pastes  and 
sardellen  butter,  biscuits,  figs,  dates,  fancy  vegetables  in  tin,  includ- 
ing mushrooms — the  lists  seem  endless,  and  they  are  drawn  from 
every  quarter  of  the  globe. 


36 


GREEN    COFFEE     WAREHOUSE 


38 


COFFEE    ROASTERS 


VTXDU  can  depend  upon  any  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  brand 
of  coffee  being  the  same  grade  and  cup  quality  from  January  to 
December  every  year,  never  varying.  It  requires  long  experience, 
sure  skill  and  special  methods  of  blending  to  insure  this  absolute 
uniformity  of  grade  and  cup  quality.  For  many  years  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company  have  been  known  as  a  high-grade  coffee  house. 
This  reputation  has  been  secured  by  considering  cup  quality  more 
essential  than  style,  and  the  greatest  care  is  exercised  in  buying. 
The  consumers'  appreciation  of  always  uniform  grades,  fullness  of 
flavor  and  strength  is  the  foundation  upon  which  this  business  is 
built,  and  the  cause  of  the  more  than  satisfactory  increase  in  sales 
from  year  to  year. 


39 


COFFEE    COOLERS 

HPHE  machinery  and  equipment  used  for  cleaning,  sorting,  grad- 
ing, roasting,  cooling  and  packing  coffees  have  been  especially 
designed  for  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company,  who  own  and  control  the 
patents  for  these  devices.  No  human  hands  touch  the  coffee  from 
the  time  it  leaves  the  bag  containing  the  green  berry  until  it  is  opened 
by  the  consumer.  These  methods  insure  a  perfectly  clean  product, 
packed  in  sanitary  containers  that  keep  out  dust,  dirt  and  moisture. 
The  entire  department,  every  nook  and  corner,  is  managed  in  a 
manner  that  makes  for  cleanliness  and  purity.  The  markets  of  the 
world  are  searched  for  the  finest  coffees,  and  never  for  a  single 
instant  during  the  roasting  and  packing  is  the  extreme  carefulness 
abated.  All  coffees  are  packed  full  net  weight. 


40 


COFFEE    PACKING 


41 


BULK    COFFEE    PACKING 


?k  - 

^tfafa. 

otj-^j,  '-. 

r~ 


42 


BAKING    POWDER    PACKING 


'""PHE  number  of  brands  of  baking  powder  on  the  market  is  so 
large  as  to  defy  counting.  But  how  many  brands  are  absolutely 
dependable?  And  how  many  housewives  have  ruined  a  baking 
because  the  baking  powder  was  not  what  it  was  supposed  to  be  in 
strength  and  quality?  The  never  varying  strength  and  fineness  of 
Richelieu,  Ferndell  and  Batavia  baking  powders  are  the  result  of 
strict  adherence  to  the  scientific  formulas  created  by  expert  chemists 
in  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company's  own  laboratory.  You  know  the 
care  exercised  in  the  selection  of  raw  materials;  you  know  the  skill 
and  experience  of  the  employes — with  these  advantages  is  it  any 
wonder  that  these  brands  always  can  be  relied  upon  to  give  perfect 
satisfaction?  And  satisfied  customers  build  trade  for  the  retailer. 


43 


SPICE    GRINDING 


OPICES  are  bought  with  the  sole  idea  of  getting  the  most  aromatic 
and  most  pungent  possible  to  obtain.  The  department  never 
has  made  any  effort  to  get  the  "cheap  spice"  business;  it  never  has 
been  satisfied  with  providing  only  ordinarily  good  spices.  Perfection 
has  been  the  aim,  and  Richelieu,  Ferndell  and  Batavia  spices  are  as 
nearly  perfect  as  it  is  possible  to  produce.  The  methods  of  manu- 
facture are  admitted  to  be  superior  to  those  prevailing  elsewhere. 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  have  operated  their  own  spice  mills 
since  1875.  This  long  experience,  aided  by  constant  experiments 
conducted  in  the  Spice  and  Laboratory  Departments,  has  resulted 
in  producing  lines  of  ground  spices  possessing  even  texture,  cleanli- 
ness, purity,  strength  and  pungency. 


44 


SPICE    PACKING 


45 


CEREAL    PACKING 


HPHE  Cereal  Department  was  started  twenty-five  years  ago,  with 
one  girl  packing  rolled  oats.  To-day,  with  an  equipment  of  the 
latest  improved  machinery  and  scores  of  employes,  the  output  runs 
into  carloads  every  day.  Only  raw  materials  of  the  finest  quality 
are  used,  and  a  premium  to  secure  such  is  paid  when  necessary. 
Human  hands  do  not  touch  the  cereals  from  the  time  they  come 
from  the  mill  until  they  are  opened  in  the  home  of  the  consumer. 
They  are  weighed,  sealed  and  packed  in  the  most  sanitary  and  clean 
manner  possible  to  devise.  And  the  retailer  is  encouraged  to  order 
in  small  lots  for  frequent  shipment,  rather  than  to  send  in  orders 
for  large  shipments  that  might  take  time  to  sell  at  retail  and  reach 
the  consumer  in  a  condition  not  fresh  and  wholesome. 


46 


FISH    PACKING 


47 


BULK    FLOUR     WAREHOUSE 


48 


FLOUR    PACKING 


A  LL  hard  wheat  flour  is  not  the  same;  all  soft  wheat  flour  is  not 
alike — and  a  certain  milling  will  make  some  flour  better  for 
one  purpose  than  another.  In  the  Flour  Department  extreme  care 
is  given  to  the  selection  of  flours  for  particular  purposes.  Hard  wheat 
flour  is  recommended  for  bread,  while  soft  and  whiter  flours  are  put 
up  for  pastry,  biscuits  and  fancy  baking.  But  the  feature  of  the 
department  is  the  preparation  and  packing  of  specialties  in  strict 
accordance  with  scientific  formulas.  Graham  flour  is  pure  wheat 
graham  flour — never  unbalanced,  never  mixed — never  a  mixture  of 
cheap  flour  and  bran  to  produce  a  commercial  graham.  Richelieu 
gluten  flour  contains  more  gluten  than  required  by  law.  Every 
package  is  true  to  the  name  on  the  label. 


49 


BULK    TEA     WAREHOUSE 


'  I  ^HERE  are  more  than  two  thousand  different  flavors  of  tea. 
One  section  of  the  country  demands  one  variety;  another  terri- 
tory wants  a  totally  different  tea.  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company 
sell  teas  in  every  state  in  the  Union;  they  know  every  variety  and 
its  cup  quality.  The  Tea  Department  is  in  a  better  position  than 
is  a  specialty  tea-house  serving  a  limited  territory.  No  one  or  two 
varieties  find  favor  the  country  over.  This  Tea  Department  is 
organized  for  national  trade,  and  meets  satisfactorily  the  require- 
ments of  any  and  all  sections.  The  teas  are  selected  for  cup  quality 
and  flavor,  and  the  finest  products  of  the  best  gardens  in  Ceylon, 
India,  China  and  Japan  are  secured.  Expert  blending  assures  the 
uniform  flavor  that  holds  patronage  to  the  popular  brands. 


50 


TEA    PACKING 


51 


CANNED     GOODS     WAREHOUSE 

V\7HEN  a  visitor  views  the  vast  interior  of  the  Canned  Goods 
Warehouse  and  begins  to  calculate  its  capacity,  it  is  difficult 
for  him  to  realize  that  this  space  is  required  only  for  the  legitimate 
requirements  of  a  jobbing  business.  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company 
are  not  speculators.  They  never  tried  to  corner  any  food  product. 
They  never  buy  for  the  mere  purpose  of  holding  for  an  advance  in 
prices.  And  they  never  handle  "cheap  stuff."  "No  goods  below 
standard,  no  matter  what  the  price  inducement,"  is  a  rule  of  all 
departments.  When  any  variety  of  fruits,  vegetables  or  fish  is  short 
or  below  grade,  no  inferior  grade  is  substituted  under  a  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company  label.  The  Richelieu,  Ferndell  and  Batavia 
brands  for  years  have  stood  at  the  very  summit  of  superiority. 


52 


DRIED    FRUIT    WAREHOUSE 


SUGAR    AND    SALT    WAREHOUSE 


54 


COLD    STORAGE     WAREHOUSE 


~"\RIED  fruits  and  sugar  are  handled  in  the  same  department.  In 
November,  1880,  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  brought  the 
first  carload  of  dried  fruits  from  California  to  Chicago.  They  are 
to-day  probably  the  largest  merchandisers  of  dried  fruits  in  the 
world,  handling  250,000  to  300,000  boxes  a  year — nearly  six  carloads 
every  week  the  year  round.  Customers  are  always  honestly  informed 
on  market  conditions,  and  are  advised  not  to  buy  when  it  is  to  their 
advantage  to  hold  up  their  orders.  Here,  as  in  all  other  departments, 
fair  and  square  dealing  is  the  rule  in  buying  and  selling.  There  will 
be  no  acceptance  or  delivery  of  lower  grades  than  specified.  Sprague, 
Warner  &  Company  are  important  factors  in  the  sugar  market,  and 
enjoy  an  enviable  reputation  for  prompt  shipments. 


55 


CIGAR    VAULTS 


s 


PACKING     ROOM 


A  LMOST  every  order  received  by  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company 
calls  for  merchandise  from  more  than  one  department.  In  the 
room  pictured  above  are  assembled  the  various  articles  for  shipment. 
Here  come  the  tea,  spices,  preserves,  fancy  groceries,  cereals,  pickles, 
flour,  fish,  cheese  and  the  thousand  and  one  other  items  carried  in 
the  mammoth  building  of  which  the  pages  of  this  book  give  an 
inadequate  presentation.  Just  how  complete  is  this  line  is  conveyed 
in  the  statement  often  heard  in  the  retail  trade  from  New  York  to 
California:  "If  you  can't  get  it  from  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company, 
it  isn't  to  be  had."  That  tells  the  story  better  than  the  longest 
catalog  that  could  be  compiled,  and  no  precaution  or  equipment  for 
the  proper  care  of  the  immense  stock  is  lacking. 


57 


LOADING     CARS    IN    TUNNEL-SHIPPING 


"pIFTY  years  ago  one  teamster,  with  one  horse,  did  all  the  hauling, 
both  in  and  out,  for  what  is  now  the  house  of  Sprague,  Warner 
&  Company.  He  hauled  incoming  freight  to  the  warehouse,  made 
deliveries  to  city  customers  and  hauled  all  shipments  to  the  freight 
houses.  To-day  a  hundred  carloads  of  merchandise  can  be  trans- 
ported from  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company's  shipping  room  to  the 
railroad  freight  houses  by  means  of  an  underground  tunnel.  Eighty 
per  cent  of  local  shipments  go  through  this  tunnel.  Each  merchant's 
order  is  assembled,  placed  on  a  tunnel  car  in  the  shipping  room, 
lowered  to  the  tunnel  60  feet  below  the  basement,  and  goes  direct 
to  the  freight  house.  This  tunnel  is  an  innovation  that  makes  for 
speed,  promptness,  accuracy  and  economy. 


58 


LOADED    TUNNEL    CARS 


59 


GENERAL    SHIPPING    FLOOR 


Richelieu,  Ferndell,  or  Batavia  goods  are  sold  in  bulk,  or  in 
large  packages,  where  an  added  preservative  would  be  neces- 
sary to  keep  the  contents  from  spoiling  when  exposed  to  the  air  after 
the  container  is  opened.  Even  if  made  right,  food  products  cannot 
continue  in  perfect  condition  when  exposed  to  contamination. 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  pay  particular  attention  to  the  selection 
of  raw  materials,  to  purity  and  cleanliness.  When  prepared  from 
wholesome  materials,  under  sanitary  conditions,  packed  in  properly 
sterilized  containers,  and  then  hermetically  sealed,  the  consumer  is 
always  assured  of  getting  perfect  food,  because  there  is  no  way  in 
which  it  can  become  contaminated  when  he  depends  upon  these 
brands  for  his  supplies. 


60 


SHIPPING    SHED 


nPHIS  shipping  shed  is  roofed  with  a  glass  skylight,  affording 
protection  when  loading  merchandise  in  stormy  weather.  From 
here  go  deliveries  to  the  city  trade  and  to  freight  depots  not  reached 
by  the  tunnel  described  on  a  previous  page.  Only  a  small  percentage 
of  the  merchandise  handled  passes  through  this  shipping  shed.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  building  are  three  parallel  railroad  switch 
tracks,  two  enclosed  within  the  building.  Twenty-four  box  cars  can 
be  so  placed  that  loading  and  unloading  are  done  simultaneously. 
There  are  adequate  dock  facilities,  and  river  lighters  and  lake  vessels 
are  loaded  direct  from  the  shipping  floor.  Not  a  single  detail  that 
contributes  to  speed,  safety  and  accuracy  in  handling  freight  is 
overlooked. 


61 


PRINTING     DEPARTMENT— JOB    PRESS    ROOM 


PRINTING     DEPARTMENT  — CYLINDER    PRESS    ROOM 

TN  this  printing  plant  are  produced  many  beautiful  and  attractive 
labels  and  cartons  that  help  to  make  the  Sprague,  Warner  & 
Company  brands  so  noticeable  when  displayed  at  pure-food  shows, 
fairs,  expositions,  and  last  and  most  important  of  all — on  the  grocers' 
shelves  and  display  counters.  Consumers  have  been  educated  to 
demand  attractiveness  and  beauty,  as  well  as  wholesomeness  and 
purity  in  food  products.  The  handsomest  grocery  stores  in  the  world 
display  merchandise  bearing  labels  printed  on  the  presses  shown 
above.  A  gold  medal  at  an  exposition  is  something  to  strive  for,  but 
there  is  a  higher  award  than  can  be  given  by  any  official  committee. 
That  is  the  appreciation  of  the  American  people,  and  Sprague,  War- 
ner &  Company  are  proud  and  grateful  to  have  achieved  this. 


63 


BOILERS 

f  I  SWO  250-horse-power  boilers  operate  a  high-pressure  steam  plant 
that  heats  the  entire  building,  and  supply  steam  for  cooking  in 
the  Preserving  Department.  They  also  furnish  power  for  a  50- 
horse-power  Corliss  engine  that  takes  care  of  the  refrigerating  and 
blower  systems.  There  are  two  pumps  in  the  power  plant  in  the 
basement  to  lift  brine  to  the  cold  storage  plant  on  the  third  floor 
and  reduce  the  temperature  there,  if  necessary,  as  low  as  10  degrees 
above  zero,  although  from  28  to  30  degrees  is  the  temperature 
ordinarily  required  to  insure  perfect  storage.  Coal  for  these  immense 
boilers  is  unloaded  from  railroad  cars  on  a  private  switch  track  into 
bins  in  immediate  contact  with  the  furnaces.  Mammoth  mechanical 
stokers  automatically  regulate  the  supply  of  fuel. 


64 


ENGINE    ROOM 


0        0 


Afterword 

A  CORDIAL  invitation  is  extended  to  every  reader  of  this  book 

to  make  a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  largest  pure-food  establish- 
ment in  the  world.  Guides  are  always  ready  to  show  visitors  about, 
and  you  can  be  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome. 

Only  by  a  personal  visit,  when  you  see  with  your  own  eyes,  can 
you  realize  the  real  spirit  of  this  organization.  Illustrations  and 
descriptive  words  can  convey  some  idea  of  the  buildings  and  equip- 
ment— can  picture  warerooms  and  merchandise — but,  after  all,  the 
true  force  back  of  this  business,  the  cause  of  its  tremendous  growth, 
is  not  in  mammoth  buildings  nor  modern  machinery,  but  is  in  the 
men  who  are  conducting  the  enterprise. 

No  matter  what  the  endowments  of  the  founders  of  this  organi- 
zation, without  the  loyal  support,  the  faithful  labor,  the  sincere 
co-operation,  the  earnest  and  intelligent  service,  the  ambition  to 
deserve  success,  the  conscientious  effort  to  make  every  buyer  a  sat- 
isfied customer  and  friend,  the  careful  guarding  of  the  interests  of  the 
house,  the  deep  and  abiding  desire  to  make  the  trade-marks  of 
Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  stand  pre-eminent  for  the  finest  and 
highest  achievement  in  food  products — without  all  these,  the  house 
of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company  would  have  lagged  by  the  wayside 
and  never  made  the  long  journey  from  the  modest  beginning  of  fifty 
years  ago  to  its  present  proud  position,  first  in  its  line  in  the  whole 
world. 

Come  and  chat  with  these  men — many  grown  grey  in  the  service 
of  the  house;  grown  grey — yes,  there  are  scores  of  men  at  the  heads 
of  departments  to-day  who  started  twenty,  thirty  or  forty  years  ago 
in  lowly  positions  at  modest  salaries  and  who  have  grown  and  pros- 
pered with  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company.  These  old-timers  and  the 
many  hundreds  of  a  younger  generation  form  an  army  of  faithful 
employes  of  whom  any  institution  can  well  be  proud.  They  love 
the  house  of  Sprague,  Warner  &  Company — and  "the  house"  loves 
them. 


66 


HD 

1601 


ogera  &  Company 

Chicago  -New  York 


P.K 


